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Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Letter by:
Margaret Powell
To The Lady In Choctaw--Mary Helen Martin: Me a "bully?"----Well as I live and breathe!! That's the first time, in my long life, that I've been called a "bully"----Oh how funny!!! I might wear that as a badge of distinction, if it were true!!! But, anyway thank you for your "eye opening" answers to the letters written by Mrs. Manovsky and myself. It proved that you have missed the point, for these letters, and that how they really needed to be written. I'm glad that your dad's life was saved by the doctors at MW Regional "Heart" unit. I'm sure many other lives have also been saved by those great doctors then. But this is Now! As of about 4 months ago, that may not be possible, no thanks to the partnership with Integris! We do not question the knowledge and talent of the doctors and nurses of the hospital. They work long and hard for us. But we criticize and question HMA's organization and practices---which has even brought questions from CBS television "National" news. That kind of recognition we do not need or want for this city. And as far as Vicki Middleton is concerned, she is the editor of this paper and is doing her job which is reporting the local news and as you stated, you do know about freedom of press and speech. We shouldn't be fighting among ourselves, we should be fighting HMA/Integris to save our hospital, and to keep it a full service hospital as the original doctors intended it should be.!! Now if you don't like what's in the OPINION section of the paper, feel free to skip right over it and go elsewhere. You know , this past Monday a comment was made to me by an acquaintance, and he said,"Integris is the "Walmart" of the medical field"-----they want it all" !! Think about it------"nuff said" !!!
Margaret Powell Midwest City, Okla.
Posted: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Letter by:
Helen Manovsky
So the BIG corporation CBS �60 minutes� is again investigating HMA (lessee of Midwest Regional Medical Center) and so is the Federal Justice Department and SEC. And Mary Helen is calling me a bully for my criticism of HMA? GEE!! I am only a 4�11�� little old lady! However, �me thinks she doth protest too much� about the recent letters (slop) written by me and Margaret and published in the EastWord News. It is obvious Mary Helen has not had the experience at MRMC that I have had. Pre-HMA, my parents both died, (1964 & 1977) after good care in that excellent hospital, many grandchildren were born,and numerous accidental injuries were treated in the ER. Since HMA , in the last 4 years, like Mary Helen�s father, my life was saved by the cardiac team. The care was superb! But I needed to have both major and minor surgeries since then, and the care was lacking at many levels, except in the ICU. It was very good. Many in my family have been patients and would not return to MRMC because of the care received. My allegiance to MRMC will always be there because I personally knew most of the founding doctors. If I am ever in an emergency situation and MRMC is the nearest place to be taken to, I would hope that the doctors and nurses would not forget the oaths they took, regardless of my criticizing letters. I completely understand that they are the working force in the train being power-driven by the corporate BIG BOYS, and I do have the utmost respect for most of them in their career choice to care for the sick. I do NOT have respect for HMA. Rest assured, every time I have been a patient, the bill was paid promptly, except for my last trip to the ER (5/1/13) - the hospital coding was questioned - that�s pending. Also, Mary Helen, as for my knowledge of contract law - that�s for the mayor and city attorneys to know to see that HMA has stuck to the lease contract. Not the two letter writers. So you see Mary Helen, the letters Margaret and I have written are not �slop� - your word - and are factual. Maybe if you research as deeply as I have you may learn more about what has been and is still going on. So my advice to you is - back off!!
Helen Manovsky, Del City
Posted: Friday, June 07, 2013
Letter by:
Helen Martin
To The Editor:
Give Midwest Regional a break already!! I am an avid reader of Eastword News and have read and re-read the letters to the editor for the past few weeks and most recently, Ms. Middleton�s opinion of the hospital. I would like to say that you all are BULLYING a corporate owned hospital. The only thing this hospital OWES you is to keep you alive and well should you roll through their doors. (And might I add, if I were Helen or Margaret, I don�t think I would any time soon. I�m sure those doctors and nurses who would be responsible for your life aren�t your biggest fans right now.)
First of all, get your facts straight. INTEGRIS IS NOT TAKING OVER THE HOSPITAL!! Stop calling it a takeover!! Stop being afraid of change. NEWS FLASH: Integris is already in eastern Oklahoma county and not just at Midwest Regional. Access Medical Center on Post Road is now a part of the Integris Network and I certainly don�t see anyone writing letters to the editor about how the Goliath of metro-OKC�s healthcare has taken over Access Medical. No one cares. The Integris partnership only means if you need open heart surgery or a heart transplant then they�re shipping you to Baptist. Good thing I won�t be your doctor if that happens. I might not show you the same courtesy.
Second, open your eyes, ladies, and read what is written about Midwest Regional! It seems like every few weeks I am reading a story or seeing an advertisement about the different functions they are hosting. They do a lot of good for our community. I have personally had blood drawn at one of their health fairs and appreciated that a hospital would offer that low cost service. Plus their CEO was in this paper just a month or so ago and EXPLAINED the new Integris partnership. Read it!
Third, give it up already about HMA. They have been here since 1996. It appears that maybe they aren�t going anywhere soon. The interest on the lease between HMA and the City has dumped MILLIONS of dollars into our community since then. Also, I don�t believe these other two writers understand anything about contract law. A lease is a CONTRACT. It is legally binding. You don�t just �drop� a forty million dollar lease.
We the taxpayers are not paying taxes to HMA. HMA is paying taxes to the City. Have you stopped to think about how much the tax must be that HMA must pay to the City? Or have you thought about what the water bill for a hospital might cost?? Do you know who HMA pays those things to? THE CITY OF MIDWEST CITY!
Fourth, I�m willing to bet you don�t work in healthcare. Neither do I. So you know what I won�t EVER do? Tell a hospital CEO how to do his job! Mr. Obama has recently made Mr. Jenson�s job more difficult I�m sure� so lay off the man already! If you think you could a better job I�m sure they would invite you to apply. Good luck.
Fifth, and this is just for Ms. Powell, who told you OU Medical center was a non-profit hospital? They were wrong and so are you. See section one: get your facts straight.
Sixth, and I�m going to wrap it up here because I could go on all day, I am most disappointed in Eastword News for continuing to run such slop about our community hospital. I understand that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are the same rights I�m given to share my opinions however, you could at least hold these letters a few weeks instead of the incessant battery of negative comments.
I have lived in eastern Oklahoma county since 1964. Midwest Regional saved my father�s life years ago because of their outstanding cardiology department. I admit, this makes me biased but I am biased in favor of what I know that hospital can be. I can identify with these other women who recall the hospital�s �glory days�. Is it the same? No. But I will ask you ladies, are you the same as you were over 50 years ago? I bet not. If you don�t like the hospital anymore, your solution is simple... Shut up and go somewhere else.
Posted: Thursday, June 06, 2013
Letter by:
Helen Manovsky
Attention: Citizens of Midwest City and surrounding area
Is the �Integris greedy monster� perhaps in a sneaky way trying to take over your hospital? They have already laid claim to the heart section. Remember the long wait and the taxes you paid for that �crown jewel� to be built? What pride we all had to have the only hospital in Eastern Oklahoma County and to have our own full hospital. At that time your exalted city fathers had bigger plans for Midwest City and decided to lease (sell?) to HMA. See if you can find a former patient who since HMA took over is happy to go back to that hospital for care again. Good luck! Hope for good care? Forget it! How can that happen when the nursing staff quits in groups - more than once since 2004?? My curiosity got the best of me recently (go to Midwest Regional or St. Anthony?) after I had a painful fall that needed to be checked out. I have never seen such a poorly run, inefficient operation from entry into the Emergency Room to the �Traveling Nurses� who couldn�t even tell me the name of the ER doctor. After treatment, 4 1/2 hours later, I was referred to a doctor for follow up care whose specialty was not foot care - I had a fractured foot! Then, add insult to injury, my insurance company denied the hospital�s claim for my care because of the wrong coding on the claim. I thought the incompetence was only in the nursing care - not the clerical work, too! So goes the endless saga of the Midwest Regional downfall from the HMA take-over as a result of the ease by Midwest City. With the grand opening a few years ago of the Heart Pavilion by HMA, my life-saving surgeon was advertised as the �featured surgeon�. Guess what - ask him if he is allowed to still perform the surgeries he is the most proficient in at Integris Heart Midwest Regional. A lot of you from Midwest City and Del City know who he is and of his prestige. I don�t have to give his name. Please - anyone who has been a patient and cares, let Mayor Fry know before Integris swallows up the whole hospital to become another �big chew� in their greedy mouth - with the help of Paul Jenson (Midwest Regional CEO).
Helen Manovsky Del City
Posted: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Letter by:
Helen Manovsky
To the Editor:
Kudos to Margaret Powell for her wise �nail on the head� remarks about the partnership of HMA and Integris. I moved here in 1952 and for 6-7 years hospital care had to be done in Oklahoma City. I watched the Midwest City Hospital be thankfully built due to the wisdom of a lot of doctors and city planners. When the hospital was leased to HMA, the trust to operate and care for that excellent hospital was given to HMA. They have done nothing but ruin it and made people, (patients) want to stay as far away from it as possible as patients. HMA has helped Integris (with Midwest Regional CEO Jenson�s help?) to get a foothold in the heart care already and what�s in store for the rest of the hospital? Who knows! I beg you Mayor Fry, and every person with the power to help, for the good of the citizens of Midwest City and Del City and the surrounding area, please break the lease with HMA if at all possible and let St. Anthony or OU Medical, or anyone else have a chance to do the right thing with this mess that HMA has created.
